What to Feed a Siberian Husky

One of the most popular questions I get about our Husky, Sassy, is what we feed her. This is my Ultimate Guide to Feeding Your Siberian Husky!!

Nutrition Basics

Huskies need slightly more protein than the average dog. They do well with high protein, moderately high fat, low carb, and low grain foods.

There is a big debate about grain-free foods for Huskies and other dogs in general right now. I believe it is important to do what you feel is best for your dog and do research regarding the facts of grain-free foods. We feed Sassy grain-free food due to some digestion issues and I do not believe there is enough research or evidence for me personally to change her food yet. I know dogs have trouble digesting grains and Sassy was having a lot of problems before we switched to grain-free. I may change my mind later, but this is my current choice.

Another reason we chose Sassy’s current food is that it has a high amount of fiber which not only helps her digestive and anal gland issues.

Puppy Needs

Puppies have their own set of dietary requirements and it’s important to feed your Husky a puppy food so they get all the important vitamins and nutrients they need. It is recommended to feed husky puppies three times throughout the day.

As your pup gets older, he or she will likely start eating only about two times a day and that is just fine!

How to Switch Your Husky from Puppy to Adult Food

I fed Sassy as a puppy three times a day, ½ cup for each feeding.

Once she became an adult, we switched her to twice per day, 1 cup meals.

Always do a gradual food change with your dog as they can have serious digestive issues if you try to change their food so suddenly.

To change Sassy’s food I went ahead for the first week and implemented her new eating schedule of only feeding her twice per day. This means I went ahead and changed the amounts (Three – ½ cups VS. Two – 1 cup meals.)

When and How Much to Feed Your Husky

Sassy, as an adult Husky, eats anywhere from 2-3 cups of food per day. I will serve her one cup in the morning and one cup in the evening along with some wet food and her pumpkin supplement. If that isn’t enough, I’ll add a half-cup to her food bowl after she (literally) tells me she’s still hungry.

Huskies love routine and they will quickly learn when their dinner time is. They will likely let you know if you are behind on feeding them, as well, with their Husky talk!

Huskies were bred to go long distances and eat little. As a breed, they learned how to sustain a certain amount of energy when there just wasn’t a lot of food available to them. A Husky’s metabolism is extremely high and small food intake can keep them going for miles… literally! 🙂 It might seem like your Husky isn’t eating enough, but it really could just be that they are full already.

It can often take a bit of trial and error to find a food that your Husky loves. Be patient and know this is okay. Buy smaller bags of food until you find one that works. (You can always donate the unused food your Husky didn’t like to a doggy shelter, just be sure to do so in a timely fashion so it doesn’t go bad or stale.)

Important things to know:

All Huskies are different. The most important thing to remember is that your Husky will not be like mine or anyone else’s. They are all similar, of course, but just because one Husky really loves dry chicken-flavored kibble doesn’t mean the next one will. That’d be like saying all humans love asparagus when we all probably know a lot of people who don’t!

Siberian Huskies can be very picky eaters. They are also incredibly smart which can make for an interesting feeding experience. 🙂 Once they get used to certain foods that they love, they fully expect you to continue providing those. Keep this in mind when you begin a feeding routine and know that you may really have to commit yourself to it.

Huskies will eat until they are full, so don’t be afraid if your pup doesn’t eat his or her whole bowl. Do pay attention to how much your dog is eating and adjust portions accordingly.

The only time to really worry about your dog not eating is if he or she is not eating at all, or has had a recent, drastic change in eating habits. If this happens with your Husky, we always recommend talking to your vet about it.

However, Huskies sometimes get bored with their food and will not eat because of that reason. You may try mixing up your Husky’s food with a supplement, cooked veggies, cooked meats, or broth and see if she’ll eat it then. I have used chicken broth, beef broth, tuna, and salmon all in Sassy’s food to mix it up for her.

If we try to give Sassy a different flavor of wet food, most of the time she will not eat it. And she lets us know that we messed up. 🙂

When I switched Sassy off her puppy food as she became an adult (around one year), I switched her from puppy kibble to adult dog kibble. She started to have anal gland issues a few months after I switched her food. There is not a lot out there about treating anal gland issues with food versus having them emptied constantly or having surgery on your dog.

Can Huskies eat vegetables?

Should I use supplements?

If your vet recommends certain supplements you should definitely consider it. We use a pumpkin supplement for Sassy because it aids in digestion and anal gland problems she had. Once we switched her food and added the pumpkin supplement, we no longer had to worry about her tummy or pay to have her anal glands emptied constantly (which is not healthy).

Reader Favorites

Disclosure

Laura Bedokis is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.